MEET: Faircake

Today, we meet Shikhita, the creative force behind the gorgeous cake and cupcake making workshops/classes run by her company Faircake, based in Greenwich London. In the last year, Faircake have taught more than 900 (and counting!) students how to bake and decorate. UK Handmade caught up with Shikhita to find out how it all started and why she loves what she does.

Please tell us about yourself and how you got started?

I grew up in India and came to London to study. I studied International Relations at LSE and then briefly worked in the City before working for a public sector consultancy. I had an office job until I was 29. This is when I realised that I need a more creative work environment. I decided to start my own cupcake company. 2007 was perhaps not the best year to start a business as the term "credit crunch" was just becoming common!

What is the story behind Faircake?

Fair Cake started trading in 2007. Well, "trading" is a big word! I hadn't the first idea about starting, let alone running a business. I began by teaching myself how to bake and started working with different materials to create flowers etc. I had tremendous support from my family and close friends from the beginning, it is something that I am very grateful for.

I decided not to borrow money for the company, so growth was really slow and organic. Every time I made some money, I bought more equipment and books. By late 2008, I had steady orders for weddings, parties and corporate functions. I had a good website and a Facebook page. A fan on my Facebook page suggested that I start teaching classes. So I asked Facebook fans about what they wanted to learn. I had a great many replies and that is how my cupcake classes began in 2009.

Jessica Hendey was a student at one of my classes in 2009 and she got in touch with me in early 2010. She wanted to find out if I had a vacancy and I decided that it was time to get help! Jessica has now been working alongside me in shaping classes and running them for a year now. This year, we have two more people joining our company and are moving into new premises. Fair Cake is changing and growing rapidly and we love what we do!

What kind of formal education, training or experience do you have that applies to what you do?

I don't! I have an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations from LSE!

What inspired you to set up your own business and what did you find most helpful in doing this?

I went to New York in 2007 and saw cupcakes in shops there. I do not have a sweet tooth and their appeal was fascinating! They are so much more than just cake with icing on it. They give so much joy to people who simply appreciate how wonderful they look. Of course, the sugary goodness and taste just add to the joy!

I found the internet an incredible source of ideas and inspiration. There were a number of blogs I could follow to keep up to date with other people's business ideas and journeys in setting up small businesses. Working on your own can be lonely, but online support kept me going. It is astonishing how much online friends come to depend on each others' advice and opinions - I found groups on the website Flickr particularly helpful and inspirational.

What do you love most about running workshops and what do you find the most frustrating?

The best aspect of running workshops is meeting people. Not a lot of jobs can boast of bringing like minded and creative people together. We have now taught more than 1000 students. Some came from as far away as Oklahoma and Las Vegas to our classes - which is a great big pat on the back for us!

Whether we run classes in Manchester or London, we always have a lot of fun. The most frustrating part of running workshops is not being able to keep in touch with everyone who comes to our classes. We meet some fantastic people and would love to keep in touch with everyone, but it is simply not possible. This is why we love Facebook - it goes a long way in keeping us in touch with our students.

What is your favourite cupcake design you have ever made, can we see a photo?

My favourite cupcake design is not one cupcake but a set of cupcakes that I call Summer Garden Cupcakes. I designed these for our most popular class. 

Summer Garden Cupcakes

Have you always been a keen baker?

No - I was a terrible baker. I remember when a few years back I decided to make a chocolate cake for my friend's lunch party. I had only one egg at home and no time to go and get more eggs. The recipe called for three eggs. I was so bad at the fundamentals of baking that I decided to go ahead and bake the cake anyway, thinking that two eggs cannot possibly make that much of a difference! Needless to say, the cake came apart quite spectacularly once it was out of the oven. There was nothing holding it together. To my utter shame now, I STILL took it to the lunch party and we ate it!

Can you tell us a bit about where your products are made, can we take a sneaky peak at your classroom?

We are still running the classes from my home, but come June this year (and fingers crossed please!), we will move into a purpose built workshop and then I am happy to show you our new premises!

Running your own business is extremely hard work, how do you balance your work and home life and what do you do to wind down?

This is an area that I am not doing very well in. I do have a problem in that I find it extremely difficult to separate life and work. I am addicted to my computer and reach out to check my emails on my phone as soon as I get up. I'm afraid I have not yet found balance. I do like to think that taking my dog for walks in Greenwich Park is my way of winding down - but that would be a lie - I take my phone with me and check emails even there! I hope to improve on this soon.

Who or what inspires you most in your work?

I am inspired by all the lovely cake designs that I see on the internet. I am a member of forums on Flickr, which is by far the best collection of images of cakes on the internet. I have a bit of an addiction to cupcake and cake images on there. I can happily spend hours clicking away!

How do you get the word out about your business?

My website is now the top result on Google in many categories, so that helps a lot. I must say that word of mouth has finally started working for me. We get a large number of students who know someone who came to a class and had a great time. Facebook has also proved to be brilliant in promoting our business. We now have more than 10,000 fans, and counting!

If you had the time to learn one new skill what would it be?

Screen printing! I love the idea of printing in colour on fabric, that is my next mission.

To find out more about Faircake visit the following:

website: www.faircake.co.uk

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/faircakelondon

flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30214361@N04